How can I take care of my knees?

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amariecruz89
amariecruz89 Posts: 83 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello experienced runners!
I am on week 2 of C25K (and loving it!) I have scar tissue in my right knee from when I tore my patella tendon years ago. I have been wearing a knee brace which seems to help while I'm running but the day after my knee hurts pretty badly.

Any advice/tips on how to take care of my knees? Thanks!

Replies

  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    Start with the basics ... good warmup and cooldown, proper form, the right shoes for gait and foot shape.
  • fatfrost
    fatfrost Posts: 365 Member
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    New shoes often.
  • shazbox1
    shazbox1 Posts: 175 Member
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    Ice it after you run and a few other times during the day. Skip a day if it is bothering you.
  • abradeen2013
    abradeen2013 Posts: 16 Member
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    Running with a prior patella injury is maybe not a good idea. I have an old knee injury (been dealing with it since I was 12!) and I have to be very careful about the kind of impact exercise I can do. I was starting a running program, but when my knee really started to hurt I saw the doctor. He told me do NOT run! It was only going to increase pain and inflammation and ultimately cause arthritis. Talk to your doc, but if the exercise that you are doing is hurting you, then it is only going to keep you from reaching your fitness goals in the long term. Maybe you should think of switching to cycling, swimming or rowing. On days when I was/am really in a lot of pain after a work out, or even when I just had an intense work out but wasn't in pain yet I ice my knee as soon as I can for about 20 to 30 minutes and then later soak in a hot bath with Epsom salts. You can also try bromelain which is a pineapple enzyme supplement that reduces inflammation. It is a safer alternative to using ibuprofen and can be used a kind of a preventative for pain/swelling. I hope this helps.
  • 4Healthyliving
    4Healthyliving Posts: 16 Member
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    There have been many study that point to dairy and meat as a cause for joint disease, and the knee are our largest joints next to the hips.The body become very acidic when it breaks down meats and dairy. That acid breaks down your joints. AgingWithoutDisease.com
  • QuilterInVA
    QuilterInVA Posts: 672 Member
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    That's not true. According to your misinformation, I should be in a wheelchair for I'm a low carber. I'm 72 years old, spend 2 hours a day at the gym and and fit and healthy with no joint disease.
  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
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    What kind of brace are you wearing?

    I have horrible knees -- severe patellar malalignment, grade 4 chondromalacia, an osteotomy with lateral release and VMO advance on the right resulting in screws in my tibia. I run without knee problems, but I did invest in substantial braces. I find that DonJoy Tru-Pull Lite braces (can buy online from the brace shop) have totally prevented patellar dislocations in my unfixed knee, and provided support to my fixed knee.

    I highly recommend investing in a medical grade brace specific to your condition. I don't think the neoprene or elastic braces from Walgreens or similar would be helpful.
  • jshay295
    jshay295 Posts: 110 Member
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    If you've got the okay from your doctor, and already have quality , supportive shoes, the next thing I would recomend is making sure you are also stretching. I have heard a lot of the tightness and pain people feel in the knee is a result of inadequate quad stretching. I realize you have a patella injury but perhaps this will help a bit. (I'm not claiming to be a doctor, i'm just offering what advice I can, like all of you, so please no one attack me. I'm just trying to be helpful :) ).
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    Hello experienced runners!
    I am on week 2 of C25K (and loving it!) I have scar tissue in my right knee from when I tore my patella tendon years ago. I have been wearing a knee brace which seems to help while I'm running but the day after my knee hurts pretty badly.

    Any advice/tips on how to take care of my knees? Thanks!

    If you're experiencing pain in week 2 then I'd recommend a view from a doctor, or physio. that said, some general points would be:

    Shoes - Properly fitting and appropriate to your gait. As a new runner it's difficult to be sure that your current gait won't improve, but shoes are very important. They generally have a lifetime of about 500-600 Km, a little less if you're heavier.

    Knee stability - A common issue for runners who won't also do some resistance training. Exercises that help to stabilise the knee and build the surrounding tissue help a lot; squats, lunges etc

    The knee brace - This might be causing your pain if it's restricting your ability to run naturally.

    Form - Really significant to pain free and comfortable running. As a novice you have plenty of time to learn, but it's best to try to keep your pace short and at a high cadence. If you're landing your foot too far in front of your body mass you're putting excessive strain on it.

    From a personal perspective, I've had broken ankles and torn ligaments in both legs, so I do have to be very careful about further leg injury when I'm running. That said I really enjoy pounding the miles out so as long as I'm careful I'm fine. Have a think about those, but I really would recommend some clinical advice.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    There have been many study that point to dairy and meat as a cause for joint disease, and the knee are our largest joints next to the hips.The body become very acidic when it breaks down meats and dairy. That acid breaks down your joints. AgingWithoutDisease.com

    Notwithstanding tha factual inaccuracy you've really not answered the question. The originator identified a historic intervention in the joint, not some unspecified issue.
  • mreeves261
    mreeves261 Posts: 728 Member
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    Hello experienced runners!
    I am on week 2 of C25K (and loving it!) I have scar tissue in my right knee from when I tore my patella tendon years ago. I have been wearing a knee brace which seems to help while I'm running but the day after my knee hurts pretty badly.

    Any advice/tips on how to take care of my knees? Thanks!

    If you're experiencing pain in week 2 then I'd recommend a view from a doctor, or physio. that said, some general points would be:

    Shoes - Properly fitting and appropriate to your gait. As a new runner it's difficult to be sure that your current gait won't improve, but shoes are very important. They generally have a lifetime of about 500-600 Km, a little less if you're heavier.

    Knee stability - A common issue for runners who won't also do some resistance training. Exercises that help to stabilise the knee and build the surrounding tissue help a lot; squats, lunges etc

    The knee brace - This might be causing your pain if it's restricting your ability to run naturally.

    Form - Really significant to pain free and comfortable running. As a novice you have plenty of time to learn, but it's best to try to keep your pace short and at a high cadence. If you're landing your foot too far in front of your body mass you're putting excessive strain on it.

    From a personal perspective, I've had broken ankles and torn ligaments in both legs, so I do have to be very careful about further leg injury when I'm running. That said I really enjoy pounding the miles out so as long as I'm careful I'm fine. Have a think about those, but I really would recommend some clinical advice.

    +1

    And avoid all the "OMG! Running is SOOOOO BAD for your knees!!!!" It's simply not true. Don't believe me? Ask anyone with prior knee issues that runs 20+ miles per week.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    Knee stability - A common issue for runners who won't also do some resistance training. Exercises that help to stabilise the knee and build the surrounding tissue help a lot; squats, lunges etc

    For what it's worth that's not a "LIFT HEAVY!!!!!!! ZOMG!!!!!" response, bodyweight resistance training is perfectly adequate for runners and quite easy as a result to build into your running, once you're more comfortable running the 30-40 minutes that you're aiming for.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    I have heard a lot of the tightness and pain people feel in the knee is a result of inadequate quad stretching.).

    Adequate stretching can help a lot. Some runners don't bother, but walk it off after the run. Traditional quad stretches, standing and lifting the foot behind the bum, can be contra-indicated for knee injury victims, but there are other alternatives. It can exacerbate ITB pain.

    I usually follow the routine of standing hamstring, standing calf, standing shin, quad, leg spread bent at the waist, legs together bent at the waist, seated leg stretch, seated inner thigh, prone sprinter stretch before I do upper body.
  • amariecruz89
    amariecruz89 Posts: 83 Member
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    Thank you for all the responses! I have been keeping up with my doctor so I will check in again if the pain gets worse after practicing some of your advice.

    I definitely probably need to stretch more often, as well as ice it afterwards.

    I continue weight training, calisthenics, and cardio on days I do not run. I also am making sure I take day or two out of the week to let my body rest.

    I just bought the sneakers I am using. How often should they be replaced or how do I know when mine are worn out?
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    I just bought the sneakers I am using. How often should they be replaced or how do I know when mine are worn out?

    If they're new then you shouldn't have an issue in the near term. I used Runkeeper to track my runs when I was doing C25K, there is a related service that tracks distance on shoes. Now that I use Endomondo that has the option to tag sessions and I can track my shoes using that now.

    I have three pairs of running shoes that I circulate, one has about 400 km, one has 150km and one has 50km in them. That said I'm running far more than you are in C25K.

    It's easiest keeping track of the distance that they've done, but a good indicator, once you're more used to running, is how they feel. That's not something that you'll develop until you're well past the end of the C25K plan and have some direction around how you want your running to develop.

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